The Morning Never Waits
by iluvaqt
Summary: Complete. Follow up to "Away With You". The night may belong to them, but morning waits for no one and when your cousin is a danger magnet, you just can't catch a break.


__**Title**: The Morning Never Waits  
**Author**: iluvaqt  
**Pairing**: Chloe/Oliver  
**Rating**: PG-13  
**Warnings**: Adult themes  
**Spoilers**: Season 9 (Persuasion & slight Conspiracy)  
**Disclaimer**: All characters belong to the CW & DC Comics.  
Summary: Follow up to "Away With You". The night may belong to them, but morning waits for no one and when your cousin is a danger magnet, you just can't catch a break.  
**Acknowledgements**: For kryptolori, slytherinpunk, elemaria_91, miranda882, sxymami0909 and purple_moon123 - this my thanks to you. Thank you for the warm welcome into the world of writing Chlollie.  
**Notes**: This was posted at the LJ Chlollie Community.

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Chloe rolled over and frowned in her sleep. There was a buzzing noise. Like an annoying fly that just wouldn't shoo, continuously circling her head. Or close to it anyway. She tried squirming deeper under the covers, hoping it would just buzz off but a long warm leg stopped her descent. A leg? She stilled her movement. The source of the buzzing suddenly registering in her sleep addled brain, she blindly felt for the night stand and answered the call without looking at the display.

"Hello?" she croaked sleepily. Tiny slivers of light peeked through the block out shutters in the bedroom but she had no idea what time it was.

_"Chloe, where are you?"_ Clark's anxious voice bellowed.

Rolling onto her back again, Chloe held the phone away from her ear and wrinkled her nose, while squinting at the ceiling. Her head felt really foggy and her stomach not the least bit settled. It was a good thing she was lying down or she was sure the room would probably be moving too. "Easy on the volume, Clark. What's the emergency?"

_"I can't get into your system, since when did you change the access codes?"_

Chloe closed her eyes and threw an arm over her eyelids. Her eyeballs felt like there would pulse right out of her skull at any moment. How much had she consumed and just what had they been drinking? "I didn't. The systems not fully operational yet. I'm working on it."

_"Oh,"_ came the muted guilt laden reply. He knew he was partially if not largely to blame for her impromptu hostile wipe of Watchtower's systems. While he hadn't really apologized for it, the fact that he seemed guilty for over it did cool her chagrin a lot.

"What did you need, Clark?" Chloe asked tiredly.

There was a shuffling sound and the silence seemed to stretch on. _"I guess I could ask J'onn for help."_

Chloe noticed that he didn't sound very confident about that. Ever since he'd begun his training at the Fortress, Clark had made every effort to seek help only as an unavoidable last resort. "Can I help from here?"

_"You still haven't told me where here is? You don't sound close."_

Chloe's heart skipped a beat. What did he mean, she didn't sound close. "I'm in Florida."

_"Do you want me to pick you up?" _

Chloe nearly choked. He almost sounded hopeful. "Whatever you need, I'm pretty sure I'll have you covered. Just tell me what I'm looking for," she recovered quickly.

_"I need you to see if you can find out what Lois was up to after I left her last night. She hasn't answered my calls and she's not at home or the Planet."_

Chloe sat up slowly and leaned against the headboard. "She's probably off working on a story. She mentioned digging into LuthorCorps' Solar Tower project with theories of sabotage. Did you check the build site?"

_"I've checked, Chloe. I know Zod's been keeping tabs on her but I don't want to confront him again without proof."_

Considering what had happened in the last couple of days, if Zod suspected Clark had destroyed the tower, it would make sense that he'd target Lois as revenge. "I'll go through satellite images, traffic cameras and surveillance in the area. I'll see if I can get a fix on her cellphone GPS too. I'll call you back."

She clicked the button to end the call and looked to her left. Oliver was still dead asleep, his face buried in a pillow, his usually spiky blond hair was flat against one side of his head. She pushed down the sheet and crawled out of bed, trying not to let her gaze linger on the sight of his taut derriere left exposed by the open sheet.

A teasing game of chess had turned into a saucy make out session on the lounge, which had resulted in an extremely intense, euphoric, multiple-orgasm-inducing sex act on the floor. She had rug burn on her ass, and chaffing on her back but she was wonderfully sore in places she had forgotten existed. Or that she had forced herself to anyway. She had kept herself so busy that her lack of love life or sex life for that matter didn't even blip on her conscious radar, at least not until people went out of their way to point it out. Going to the bathroom for a glass of water, she dug around in her toiletry bag for aspirin. Instead of the traditional post-coital snuggling and pillow talk, she and Ollie had opted for a tell-all drinking game. While her nerves were grateful for the physical distance and the welcome distraction then, her head wasn't thanking her right now.

Although she had learned a few enlightening facts about Oliver. He had a small obsession for feminine feet, among other things. In turn she'd confessed every non-date, homicidal boyfriends, and brush with death she'd ever had. She had confessed it all with the intention of giving him some perspective over the misplaced guilt he had for putting her in danger on various occasions.

A tousled blond head appeared behind her in the bathroom mirror. He blinked at her, sleepy eyed and rubbed his hand over his stubble covered dimpled chin. "What are you doing up?"

"What time is it?" she asked quickly, brushing past him to dig her laptop out of her bag.

Oliver shrugged. "Feels too early to be up."

"Clark thinks Lois is missing. I'm just going to do a few checks." She logged on and within seconds she had Lois' location. Well, at least where her phone was. She dialed Clark's number. "GPS says the corner of Westview and Barnes."

_"Thanks Chloe."_

"No problem, Clark. If she's not there, call me back." Tossing the phone onto the bed, she shifted the computer to the desk and rubbed her temples.

"Come here." Oliver took her arm and guided her back to the bed. He sat her down and crawled behind her. His hands worked the tight muscles in her neck and shoulders and she let her head loll forward.

"Anyone ever tell you, you have magic fingers."

"Do you really want me to answer honestly?"

Chloe slapped his leg but smirked to herself. She'd left herself open for that one.

"We can go back if you want," he said quietly. He knew she was worried about Lois. He'd be lying to himself if he didn't admit that she was probably worried about Clark too.

Chloe shook her head. "They'll survive another day or two without me." As if to contradict her, her phone started buzzing again. The caller display said Clark.

_"I found her phone, she's not there. There's no sign of her, Chloe."_

He was borderline frantic. Chloe could hear it in his voice. "What's the address? Do you see any cameras or signs of struggle."

_"Where are you?"_

Chloe sighed. This holiday was about to get interrupted in a big way. "Let me get dressed and I'll call you back. In the mean time, call Emil. He can run forensics. Maybe pick up something you might have missed." She ended the call and closed her hand around the phone tightly.

Oliver stopped rubbing down her back and closed his hands over her upper arms. He kissed the back of her head. "I'll make myself scarce. See you back in Metropolis?"

Chloe turned and studied his face in the darkness. There was a slight tug of a smile on his lips but his eyes were vacant of any emotion. He was being guarded. She nodded once and squeezed his hand. "Thanks Ollie." They hadn't made any promises about where this was headed, if anywhere. No pledges of commitment. They didn't try to define their feelings or what they'd shared. It was just a bit of fun between two really good friends who understood each other better than anyone else. He was a very attentive and generous lover, she'd never felt so adored or desired in her entire life but she wouldn't be fool into thinking it was anything more than a purely physical connection. She knew he was still hurting over Lois, and she wasn't sure she was ready to risk loving anyone the way she had cared for Clark once or how she'd loved Jimmy. Love had never given her anything but pain in return. She couldn't take that risk, not even with someone as honest and caring as Oliver.

Less than five minutes later, she was standing outside the bungalow with her suitcase at her feet and phone pressed to her ear. Clark appeared in full Blur costume not three seconds after she told him the address.

"Ready?" he asked, frowning quizzically at her taking in her flip-flops and sun dress.

It was as though he'd forgotten she was female. Figures, Chloe thought with an inward laugh. "Let's go find Lois," she said with an encouraging smile.

And in a blink of an eye they were gone. Oliver pulled on a pair of pants and walked out of the bedroom. He waited just inside the doorway until he'd seen them disappear. Running his fingers roughly through his hair a few times, he snagged the bottle of rum from the counter in the kitchen and opened the sliding door to head outside.

Dropping down into the sand, he watched the waves roll in. The sun was still low on the horizon, but already the air was muggy and warm. He took a long swallow from the bottle before he threw it in the sand at his feet. He knew the second she'd lost that wrap that his heart and his head were no longer in cahoots. His head had warned him to tread carefully but his heart had quickly started dancing its own playful tune in his chest, tugging him in the direction of her lush creamy body and her sweet pink mouth. They said rebounds were never healthy and that men were more prone to fall prey to them than women. He wondered if that's what this was. Funny thing - the truth and heart of it - he felt as though he'd known Chloe a lot longer and a hundred times better than he knew Lois. And Chloe knew far more about him than Lois had ever cared to know. Ten years from now he imagined that he'd only be more entangled with his blonde haired, smart talking, sunshine radiating, partner in justice than he was now. He didn't know where they were headed, or what they'd be that far from now but he knew one thing for certain. They'd be facing it together. Side by side. He'd had her in his arms once. He'd be damned if he let her slip away from him now. He sighed resting his head on against his hands, squinting against the brightening sky. He wasn't kidding himself however, he had his work cut out for him. Chloe seemed to have convinced herself that love wasn't worth the gamble. He was going to have a helluva time convincing her to have him. There as no doubt it wouldn't be fun though.


End file.
